Training a muscle group twice in a week?

[ryu007]

One of my friends has been hitting his chest and arms twice a week for a while now (I'm gonna say for 2 months now), and he's seeing great results! His bench has increased tremendously, now when I work out with him he leaves me in the dust in pretty much everything. Only problem that's ALL he does all week, he looks like those cartoon characters with the HUGE upper body and tiny legs (seriously, he never does legs) I like to think I have a more proportional look. However, this got me thinking, is hitting the same muscle twice in a week really beneficial or are there serious drawbacks to it? I know some of you guys train week in and week out like that, but I honestly don't know if I could handle that much in a single week. What's your guys' opinions/experiences?

[Yev33]

You can definetely train a body part twice a week but you have to drop the volume per workout. Training only the upper body will work great because you can recover easier since there isn't as much stress on the body but you will never have a complete physique. I remember I couldn't train upper body for a couple of weeks because of an elbow injury, so I trained legs three times a week. It worked awesome I was increasing weights and reps every workout, but I was also in the gym only three times a week and had plenty of time to recover. If I was going to try training every muscle group twice a week, I would use a split like this.
Monday: upper body
Tuesday: rest
Wendsday: lower body
Thursday: rest
Friday: upper body
Saturday: lower body
Sunday: rest

[pumpster]

I know some of you guys train week in and week out like that, but I honestly don't know if I could handle that much in a single week. What's your guys' opinions/experiences?

Twice a week training's no big accomplishment, get in there and stop whining. Seriously you're saying you don't know if you can handle it when most top BBs of the last 4 decades have done this?

[thewickedtruth]

You can definetely train a body part twice a week but you have to drop the volume per workout. Training only the upper body will work great because you can recover easier since there isn't as much stress on the body but you will never have a complete physique. I remember I couldn't train upper body for a couple of weeks because of an elbow injury, so I trained legs three times a week. It worked awesome I was increasing weights and reps every workout, but I was also in the gym only three times a week and had plenty of time to recover. If I was going to try training every muscle group twice a week, I would use a split like this.
Monday: upper body
Tuesday: rest
Wendsday: lower body
Thursday: rest
Friday: upper body
Saturday: lower body
Sunday: rest

I don't think people realize what it means to really drop the volume they're used to to really see good results beyond strength. I did this style of training for 6 months and though I loved it and had strength through the roof, I didn't really GROW til I gave my muscles some time to rest and found a good split to give them than opportunity. I work out 4 days on one day off or two depending on how I feel.   It's always worth a try but like pump said, you're not anything special training twice a week. And if you don't EAT like you train, you'll be in even worse shape.

[ryu007]

Twice a week training's no big accomplishment, get in there and stop whining. Seriously you're saying you don't know if you can handle it when most top BBs of the last 4 decades have done this?

I'm a single dad in the military, so gym time is scarce. It's not about whining. Before I got custody of my boy I was hitting the gym 6 days a week, so training twice a week would be no sweat. I'm no stranger to hard work, it's why I got to where I am now. I was simply asking everyone's experience with this type of training since I myself have never tried it (I always used the logic that you need to give your muscles at least 48 hours rest before hitting them again) Good point though wicked, what does your split look like that enables you to do this while giving yourself the rest?

[thewickedtruth]

I'm a single dad in the military, so gym time is scarce. It's not about whining. Before I got custody of my boy I was hitting the gym 6 days a week, so training twice a week would be no sweat. I'm no stranger to hard work, it's why I got to where I am now. I was simply asking everyone's experience with this type of training since I myself have never tried it (I always used the logic that you need to give your muscles at least 48 hours rest before hitting them again) Good point though wicked, what does your split look like that enables you to do this while giving yourself the rest?

If you don't get it enough, thanks for serving.

You want to know my 6 day split? or my 4 day split?! 

[ryu007]

If you don't get it enough, thanks for serving.

You want to know my 6 day split? or my 4 day split?! 

Appreciate that. 4 day please.

[thewickedtruth]

Appreciate that. 4 day please.

Day 1: Chest and Shoulders
Day 2: Back and Traps
Day 3: Legs top to bottom
Day 4: Arms top to bottom. Arms only get 6-8 sets each muscle group too..as to not over train.
Day 5: off
Day 6: off or repeat depending on how you feel. Saw the STRENGTH of the 6 days a week workout BUT growth along with it! I love this new split. I still get to hit my body parts often but I don't have to wait a full WEEK between doing so. Best of both worlds.

[The Squadfather]

One of my friends has been hitting his chest and arms twice a week for a while now (I'm gonna say for 2 months now), and he's seeing great results! His bench has increased tremendously, now when I work out with him he leaves me in the dust in pretty much everything. Only problem that's ALL he does all week, he looks like those cartoon characters with the HUGE upper body and tiny legs (seriously, he never does legs) I like to think I have a more proportional look. However, this got me thinking, is hitting the same muscle twice in a week really beneficial or are there serious drawbacks to it? I know some of you guys train week in and week out like that, but I honestly don't know if I could handle that much in a single week. What's your guys' opinions/experiences?

anyone can train twice a week when all they do is chest and arms, do intense legs and back workouts during the week and it will be back to one a week, i like to bomb the living shit out of the muscle once a week with 15-20 heavy sets and let it rest, if all you do is chest and arms you should be able to train 4 times a week.

[thewickedtruth]

anyone can train twice a week when all they do is chest and arms, do intense legs and back workouts during the week and it will be back to one a week, i like to bomb the living shit out of the muscle once a week with 15-20 heavy sets and let it rest, if all you do is chest and arms you should be able to train 4 times a week.

What would you tell somebody to do sets and reps wise if that decided to follow that route? Just curious. You know I don't train like that.

[The Squadfather]

What would you tell somebody to do sets and reps wise if that decided to follow that route? Just curious. You know I don't train like that.

to be honest i can't even imagine someone not using drugs training a muscle twice a week at least with the proper intensity, it might sound like macho bragging or whatever but i'm sore for at least 4 days after i train but hey what do i know? anyway i would say that you should maybe do a heavy/light type of thing if you want to go twice a week or maybe a barbell/dumbbell type thing like Ronnie does.

[thewickedtruth]

to be honest i can't even imagine someone not using drugs training a muscle twice a week at least with the proper intensity, it might sound like macho bragging or whatever but i'm sore for at least 4 days after i train but hey what do i know? anyway i would say that you should maybe do a heavy/light type of thing if you want to go twice a week or maybe a barbell/dumbbell type thing like Ronnie does.

I did it but I went heavy and light and wasn't on drugs but I'm lazy in the gym. Intensity is lacking and I made sure I rested enough between sets for sure lol.

[The Squadfather]

I did it but I went heavy and light and wasn't on drugs but I'm lazy in the gym. Intensity is lacking and I made sure I rested enough between sets for sure lol.

hahahaha, shit if you're lazy in the gym most people are wayyy beyond lazy, with those 405 benches and heavy ass weights you use on everything else you're FAR from lazy, anyone can rest 45 seconds between sets when they train light.

[thewickedtruth]

hahahaha, shit if you're lazy in the gym most people are wayyy beyond lazy, with those 405 benches and heavy ass weights you use on everything else you're FAR from lazy, anyone can rest 45 seconds between sets when they train light.

LOL you said it, not me. I would however suggest to divide the TOTAL amount of alloted sets per body part and divide them in HALF each day to prevent overtaining and still get the proper amount of sets in WITHOUT sacrificing much. I loved training like this man the strength you keep is badass but you just don't grow doing it this way. Or as least I didnt'.